Hell hath no greater fury
by Writingaddict2
Summary: Artemis Rose has trained mutants for years, never realising that she is not alone. When the desperate actions of one of her students result in her school being found she must learn to something she hasn't done since she was ten: trust others.
1. Chapter 1

It was two a.m. when, then eleven year old, Artemis Rose had found out she was a vampire.  
-

What had woken her up was not the overwhelming thirst that had gripped her, but rather an excruciating pain that radiated throughout her frame. It had felt like someone was trying to rip out her spine. She had tried to get up – she hadn't known why then and still doesn't know now – and go to her step-brother's room, because his was the closest and have him call for help. She didn't even make it two feet from her bed when her wings finally broke through the skin. She screamed loud and long from the pain in her back and the pain in her mouth, she could feel her canines elongating and hollowing out. Everyone in her house save for herself slept like the dead, so it didn't surprise her that it had taken several agonizing minutes for anyone to rouse themselves and come to her aide. She had been curled up in the fetal position when her step-brother had come in. He came rushing to her side, but misunderstanding his motives due to past abuse; she leapt up and lunged at his throat, biting into his jugular. It was now his turn to scream. The scream hurt her ears. With a feral hiss, she let go and flew out the window.

As she flew far, far away from her familiar suburban home, she realized that she could never be among normal humans. It was too dangerous. She was looking for a place to land when she noticed she could read the minds of the people below. It scared her a little, but didn't really concern her. Landing in an abandoned warehouse, Artemis curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep. However, even her dreams provided little comfort. She saw herself killing, ripping, and tearing. When she woke with a start, she saw that everything that had been next to her was now floating ominously above her. With a thought, she brought them back down to their proper places.

"What am I?" she whispered, burying her face in her hands.

nine years later

Artemis was pulled aside by one of her favorite "students," Takeda Akane.

"Rose-sensei, I hate to bother you, but my brother Ayume and I found three people here that are requesting a bed for the night," she gave her customary bow, her blue-black hair covering her face like a veil as she straightened out again.

"Take me to them," Artemis said, as she always did in such situations. The last thing she needed was to let some psycho into her makeshift school.

The first thing she heard was a very angry, female voice with a strong Australian accent shouting, "Why can't we just come in? They said this was a-".

Artemis decided to temporarily seize her vocal chords there. It wouldn't hurt her, but it would get the girl to shut up long enough for her to hear why she was being detained. Artemis rounded the corner and saw that the Aussie was not alone; she had three others with her.

"Calm down, my angry friend, I just had to make sure you weren't going to knife us in our sleep," Artemis said, nodding as she looked through the frightened trio's minds and found nothing of interest.

"Don't worry about your sister, Syd, I'll return her vocal chords to normal once she's out of ear shot. Rochel, don't worry, we're safer than most people would think, and Sydney, do me a favor: once you're out of here, go to some anger management classes. It could do you a world of good." Satisfied with her assessment, she wandered off to see if any of the sick bay residents showed any signs of improvement.

Street corner, New York, Four years earlier

Livvy was doing what she loved to do: sing. She was good at it, it paid the rent, and most of her other bills.

She didn't know it yet, but Livvy was a mutant whose power was slowly making her blind. She didn't know it then, and even if she did, she wouldn't have cared. She sang to live and she lived to sing. Plain and simple.

Today was the day that would change her life forever. It was the day she would meet a confident girl, no older than fifteen, who would change her world forever. It was the day that she met the girl named Artemis Rose.

"And the other one is hailing a taxi cab," Livvy finished to a round of deafening applause. For a street performer, she sure had a large fan base. As the day wore on, people came and went and finally, just as the sun was beginning to set, it was time for her to pack up and go home. It was then that she felt someone watching her, not in a creeper kind of way, but more like a curious one. She looked up to see the most beautiful girl ever. The girl had evergreen eyes, porcelain skin, lips the color of a pale rose, and fiery hair. The funny thing that Livvy never found out was that the girl thought that Livvy, the 5 foot, fairy-like girl she had come to retrieve, was equally beautiful.

"Can I help you?" Livvy asked, brushing her snow white hair nervously from her equally pale blue eyes.

"Are you the singer known as Siren?" the girl asked. This freaked Livvy out a little, the only people who know that nickname were the other street performers, who had become her friends.

"How do you know that nickname?" Livvy was worried that someone had ratted her out.

"You weren't ratted out, you sent for me." Just as Livvy was about to ask what the hell she was talking about, she found she couldn't talk. It didn't exactly scare her, but it did freak her out ever so slightly.

"Are you hungry, Siren? I'm headed out for dinner anyway, it'd be my treat."

Livvy thought for a minute and nodded. The girl smiled and motioned for her to follow. With a flick of the girl's wrists, Livvy could talk again.

"How did you do that?" she asked, rubbing her slightly sore throat.

"I'm not quite sure, but it's a nifty trick I've learned over the past couple of years." The girl's English accent now very apparent, and rather out of place on Livvy's street corner.

"So, do you have a name?" Livvy asked warily. Her time on the streets had taught her to distrust everything, even if it offered food.

"My name is Artemis Rose, and I run a school for mutants. Livvy, you are a mutant. Your ability is to hypnotize people with your singing. As of yet, we don't know how powerful you are, but what we do know is your ability is causing you to go blind. If you stay here on the streets, you will go blind and never learn how to control your power and put it to use. If you come with me, we may be able to save your sight and teach you how to better control your gift."

It was a lot to take in, but it made sense somehow, and Livvy made the one decision that she knew she'd never regret. She went with Artemis.

School, present day

"You put your arms around me and I'm home." Siren knew that her song had at least lifted some of the kids' spirits she could feel it. Her lips curled into a beautiful smile and she felt for her eyes: a dog by the name of Jasper.

"You've made a lot of progress, old friend. I'm proud of you." Siren knew that voice like the back of her hand. It was the voice that had convinced Daredevil himself to come and teach her how to adjust to her blindness, it had sung her and her dorm mates to sleep every night, it had convinced her to put the knife and pills down, it meant safety and warmth. It was the voice of Artemis Rose.

"Thanks, teach," she said getting up."Hey, how's Ricky doing?"

Ricky was the school's jokester, he could make just about anyone smile, even his overly depressed sister. He was the only one who had known Siren when she went by Livvy. After all, he was her brother, he was also the only one in Livvy's family to ever get leukemia.

"From the looks of it, if we can't get him to a place that can treat him, and soon..." The silence was all she needed to hear. It was bad, real bad.

Siren's brother wasn't the only one who was really sick. There was an entire wing devoted to children who were terminally ill. Siren had heard from some friends of hers of another school for mutants in Westchester. From what she had gathered, the headmaster of that school was monitoring some new mutants - mutants Siren happened to know. She formulated a plan and set it into motion. With any luck, the headmaster of the other school would help her brother and all of the other kids. So, after she had finished packing up, she set off to find Syd, Sydney, and quiet Rochel.

X-jet

"I can't believe he sent us of all people to pick these kids up," Logan complained for the third time in five minutes.

"Calm down, _mein Freund_, it vill be over soon," Kurt said as he began their descent.

They touched down 200 yards from the abandoned factory. It didn't look like much of a place to spend the night, but both of them had stayed in far worse.

It was then that they saw a white blur coming at them. It took Logan all of two seconds to realize that it was a guard wolf. It took Kurt two minutes to knock both it and its twin out. They shifted back into people the moment they lost consciousness. What they saw surprised them, the two kids were no older than Kitty or any of the new mutants, yet they fought as well as any of the X-Men. Whoever was here knew how to train mutants and knew how to do it well.

-

Artemis had just finished making her rounds when the Takeda twins contacted her with information she had never wanted to hear: her school had been found by what appeared to be two hostiles. Her connection to them broke when they were knocked out. She searched mentally for the intruders and found them in few nanoseconds. No one harmed her students or staff without paying for it – no one.  
-

Logan sniffed the air looking for signs of any other guards. The coast seemed clear. It was then that he felt someone quickly touch and exit his mind - he looked over at his friend who nodded - he had felt it too The two went back to back immediately, prepared to take on anything. Lurking in the shadows where she couldn't be seen nor smelled was, now very angry, Artemis Rose. She took a moment to assess the invaders, and spreading her wings, took flight. They didn't hear her coming till it was almost too late.

"Oh no, you don't, bub," Logan said as he put the assailant into a choke hold. What he saw surprised him, the person who had tried to attack the duo was about the same age as Kurt, mid to late twenties.

"Let me go!" the girl shouted, aiming a kick for his shins but missing - barely.

Logan heard something tapping against the pavement, his head snapped towards the noise. There was a fairy-like girl with a cane standing there, she looked worried.

"Artemis, it's my fault they're here. I had heard from reliable sources that the school slash boarding house they live in were looking for Syd, Sydney and Rochel. I had also heard that they have a state of the art infirmary. I figured if I could lure them here, we could show them the death ward and they could get some of those kids the help that they need," this girl looked about the same age as Artemis.

"Siren, they attacked Akane and her brother Ayume! You put the school in serious danger! What if the rumors that you heard were just that - rumors? We could have been killed!" Artemis now looked livid. She struggled to get out of Logan's grip.

"They attacked us first, ve vould never harm without cause," Kurt said, trying to soothe the girl.

"Sensei!" a voice, presumably Akane, given it was female, shouted worriedly.

"Put her down!" A male voice behind him growled.

Logan turned around to see two people; one was Akane, the other was presumably her brother, given the resemblance.

"Akane-chan, Ayume-san, we mean your sensei no harm. She attacked us first." Who knew Logan's time in Japan would come in handy now. "Same thing with you two. Normally, we don't engage others, but you didn't give us time to tell you we aren't gonna hurt anyone. Do tell me one thing though, how does a girl your age become your sensei in the first place?"

"Ok — next question: how come the professor, the most powerful telepath in the world, never found this place?" Logan then let go of Artemis, figuring that she would be more cooperative if she was free.

"Simple, she rescued my brother and I me from being burned as evil spirits. She took us in and taught us everything we know; we've been with her since she started this school." Akane finished and Logan realized that this would be another one of those more questions than answers pickups.

"That's easy enough. All of my students have a basic mental connection to me. I simply block any outside mental contact, leaving our school invisible. Unless we happen to be housing guests; that is the only time our school is compromised," Artemis said, with the same casual tone as someone when talking about the weather.

"You're coming with us, Artemis, and so is the original trio we came for." Logan knew that Xavier would want to meet this kid, badly.

"Take one of the kids in death ward in my place - I refuse to leave knowing that they are here dying, because we lack the funds to help them." This took Logan by surprise, he knew only two people who talked like that: one was standing next to him, and was, just as surprised as he was, the other was back at the school.

"How many kids are in this death ward of yours?" Logan asked, now shifting to Wolverine (he never noticed the shift, but others did).

"Forty-seven." Both Wolverine and Kurt could see the helplessness in her eyes. "I can take you there, if you like, but I'll have to ask you to let me stick you in a telekinetic bubble. These kids are so sick a simple cold could kill them."

The pair nodded their consent and Artemis led the way. Logan was the only one who could hear her crying.


	2. Chapter 2

**Logan **

Logan could smell the aptly named death ward long before they got there. They had to get these kids help and fast.  
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the infamous ward.  
"Now these kids aren't used to seeing people, especially unfamiliar ones, so please do not be alarmed if they appear to be frightened. It's not you, it's the people they lived with before they got here." To Logan it looked like Artemis was all too used to giving this speech.  
"Now any questions? No? Good." Logan was beginning to really like this kid.  
For a school that ran entirely on the charity, for lack of a better word, of the citizens of New York City, it actually had a pretty good infirmary. Then again there was no promising that what little they had _wasn't _stolen.

**Artemis **

No matter how many times she told herself she wouldn't cry when she came in here, she always did, without fail.  
As she walked among the rows of cots she couldn't help but feel like the villain, here she was healthy and happy and here they were dying and there was nothing she could do about it.  
Choking back her tears, she turned to her unexpected guests and somehow managed to say,  
"Welcome to the death ward."  
The silence from the two friends was profound, even Mr. Macho was starting to get teary-eyed.  
"Mister," a weak voice Artemis knew all too well, for it was her own son, said, looking at Logan, "are ya gonna help us?"  
It was way too much for her to bear. She quietly excused herself and went out in the hallway where she sobbed till she had no more tears to shed.

**Four years earlier**

Artemis had never really expected to come home, but between the stress of running a school and keeping all of her students and staff fed, she needed the vacation; which was how she had ended up where she was: her mother's doorstep.  
"Hello mom," Artemis said, making sure to suppress the English accent she had picked up during her time in the UK.  
"Artemis?" Her mother asked incredulously - after all she hadn't seen her daughter in six years.  
"It's me, I promise." Artemis barely had any time to brace herself for her mother's bear hug. She buried her face in her mother's hair and breathed in the smell of home.  
When she got in the house, she realised that the only thing that had changed was herself. This scared Artemis to death but it comforted her as well - how prophetic that fear would turn out to be.  
"I left your room just as it was when you ran away," her mother said. She sounded like she had missed the daughter she never seemed to have noticed before.  
"I can see that," Artemis said as she paced her old room, running a finger along each surface, an almost OCD habit she had picked up during her travels.  
"Are you going to be staying?" Artemis looked into her mother's pleading eyes and reluctantly nodded.

"So the prodigal daughter finally returned?" How she hated her step-father's sneering voice. She also hated how loud his thoughts were - this was one of the few times in her life when she wished she was "normal".  
"Yep," she said pushing the cooked broccoli to one side, not really focusing on anything.  
"Hey sis!" She nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound of her step-brother's voice - he knew what she was and she knew he would exploit that knowledge any way he knew how.  
"Hello Judas". She was terrified, so terrified she forgot to use her powers to suggest she looked normal. Her mutation was now on full display for the entire family to see.  
"YOU'RE A MUTIE?" Her step-father bellowed, turning to his poor wife who just wasn't fast enough, and picked her up by the throat. "YOU GAVE BIRTH TO A MUTIE, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF-"

The rest was drown out by Artemis's screams at the sound of her mother hitting the wall.  
Artemis ran to her mother like the child she still was and tried to revive her but to no avail; she was dead, her neck had broken on impact.  
"YOU MURDERER!" she cried, "YOU MURDERER!"  
She held her mother's fragile body to her own as if she believed that by holding onto her she could somehow bring her back.  
"Mummy don't leave me," she said through the tears that were falling on her mother's body like rain, "don't leave me."  
As the murderer came closer, she let loose a feral hiss that even scared her - she would not allow her mother to be defiled by this monster again. So she used her curse. It was the only time she had ever actually killed. She left the house her step brother unharmed, this time he had done no wrong.

**Judas **

Judas had looked everywhere for the little freak but couldn't find her. He did feel something; whether it could be called pity or not was dependent on who interpreted the ramblings of his depraved mind. Just when he was about to give up, he finally found her, going into an old abandoned factory alone.  
"Perfect," he said to himself quietly. The look on his face that of a man who had long since gone over the edge.  
It didn't take him long to catch up to his unsuspecting prey, she never had a chance.

-  
Artemis came out of the stall with the weight of the world on her shoulders. The pregnancy test had come back positive.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kurt**

The two friends were utterly speechless as they entered the ward. They were expecting it to be bad, this was horrible. Children from every walk of life and country imaginable were gathered in one grotesque display. Though Kurt knew he would never admit it, even Logan was crying.  
As Kurt and Logan wandered between the rows of the ill they couldn't help but feel pity for these poor children.  
"Mister," the boy who was on the cot right next to Logan wheezed, "are ya gonna help us?"  
It was then that Artemis ran out of the room sobbing, Kurt longed to go after the broken girl but he also wanted to answer the boy's question.  
As Kurt opened his mouth to reply Logan, who wasn't known for his love of small children, said ruffling the kid's hair:  
"Yeah kid, that's why we're here."  
The smile on the child's face was absolutely priceless; it was the classic "kid in a candy store" type grin. Never would he forget that smile, never.

**Siren**

There was nothing worse for a child to go through then cancer, there was nothing worse for Siren to go through than having to watch her brother die and not being able to do a single thing about it. She knew Artemis was furious at her for revealing their location but what was she to do, her brother was dying as was Artemis's son. Lost in her inner turmoil she didn't hear the heavy footfalls of the mutant Logan.  
"Hey kid!" He said startling her, which in turn caused her to draw her pocket knife on the stranger.  
"Easy, I ain't gonna hurt ya, I just wanted to talk," he held his arms up in surrender only to realise that she was blind.  
"Sorry about the knife, we're a little jumpy here," Siren said sheepishly, "The name's Siren by the way."  
Logan was surprised at her lack of fear he was also surprised that Kurt wasn't trailing behind him with those beads of his in hand.

**Kurt**

By the time Kurt had made his rounds of the ward he was very worried about the mutant, Artemis, who had led them to this room of death, the only time he had ever seen anyone run out of a room crying was... well never. He poked his head out into the hallway and sure enough there she was looking absolutely miserable.  
"I have no clue what you have been through but I have been told I am a very good listener," He said plopping himself next to the girl who reminded him in very many ways of Charles.  
"You wouldn't want to hear," she paused for a moment "my story _Herr Vagner,_ trust me."  
She looked into his sulfur yellow eyes with an almost pleading look, as if she couldn't decide whether she wanted to spill her secrets or not.  
"Yours can't be any worse than the vones I've heard," he said tilting her head so she could see the truth in his eyes.

**Artemis**

When Kurt tilted her head towards his she assumed that she wanted the same thing that the filth that put their hands on her every night did. She actually liked this one so she had no problem obliging. It wasn't until her hand was halfway down to his belt buckle that she realised something was wrong. He bore none of the tell tale signs of pleasure, and all the signs of shock and quite possibly disgust.  
She quickly dismounted and allowed the poor man to get a breath.  
She opened her mouth to say something but closed it just as quickly when she saw the look on Kurt's face. It was then that she started crying anew.  
"Vot happened to you?" He said in a worried tone.  
He pulled her close and their fates were sealed. It was only a matter of time before they realised it.


	4. Chapter 4

As Avi, better known as Avian by her peers, walked down the all too familiar path to the death ward she couldn't help but wonder why Livvy had to keep torturing herself like this. She knew the pain of losing family first hand but she also knew that one has to move on eventually.

Avi rounded the corner and saw two things she had never seen before: Teach crying and a friendly stranger. For once she was glad that her feathers were their customary jet black colour, it allowed her to sneak past the strange sight without too much difficulty. She entered the ward and immediately began to search for her love, Livvy.

"Livvy?" she whispered hoping that Liv wasn't too far off.

She heard a commotion and bolted toward the sound, she saw Livvy knife drawn and a man twice her size on the other end. She longed to put herself between the unfair match-up but before she could act the man threw his arms up in surrender. Livvy backed down and said something, most likely an apology. The man looked impressed, which wasn't too surprising but it did pique her curiosity so she made herself known.

"Hey Livvy! Who's this behemoth?" Avian asked gesturing towards the stranger.

"Wolverine and you are?" The man replied looking at Avian.

"Why am I not surprised with the animalian name? Avian, in case the feathers covering my entire body weren't a clue," Avi replied with an edge of sarcasm.

"Watch it!" Wolverine warned.

"Alright you two there's no need to fight over me!" Livvy said coming in between the two hot heads.

Wolverine and Avian backed off and nodded at each other. The display of dominance was successful each side understood the other and the conflict was resolved.

"I take it you two are dating?" Wolverine said there was no disgust in his voice but time had taught both Avi and Livvy that everything is not as it seems.

"Yes, why?" Avi asked moving protectively in front of her love.

"Calm down, I don't care what you like as long as I don't have to hear about what happens when the sun goes down," Wolverine replied.

"We're gonna get along just fine," Avi said smiling and holding her hand out for him to shake.

**Kurt**

"Come now, we need to get these kids to the school," Kurt said drying Artemis's eyes.

Artemis nodded and then shook herself off like a dog that had been tossed in water, "Alright let's get the worst of the worst together."

**Charles Xavier**

"You alright Charlie?" Enigma-37 asked poking her head in the door.

"No," He replied furrowing his brow and threading his fingers together like he always did when he was nervous.

"How bad is it?" She asked coming over to his side.

"They have forty-two in an intensive care unit of sorts and there is no way we can retrieve, let alone treat, all of them. Also there is a mutant there who might rival our telepathic abilities. Syd and his group are all wanted for one crime or another in their home country-"

"Charles, enough, go to bed. I'll take care of everything I promise," 37 kissed him on the forehead and he rolled off, his mind still racing with everything that was happening.


	5. Chapter 5

As Enigma-37 walked to her car she pressed a small implant on the heel of her palm, praying that she'd pick up.

"Wot" came the reply of a very tired Sarah her English accent thick with lack of sleep.

"Get everyone together, I'm gonna need all the help I can get," 37 said flinching as the door slammed.

Apparently not all the wounds Stryker left had fully healed.

_Thank God he's dead,_ She thought to herself thinking of her latest pickup involving a quiet telekinetic girl by the name of Dani.

"What for?" Sarah asked utterly alert.

"There's a school not far from ours that has kids in desperate need of our help in relocating them. Your healing abilities will come in handy right about now," 37 knew by the sounds of someone getting dressed Sarah was on her way with a tired Frankie in tow.

"Send me the coordinates," Sarah said, Frankie could be heard in the background questioning why Sarah was up at such an unholy hour.

"No need, it's two blocks from your house, it's the old abandoned factory, warehouse, whatever ya want to call it," 37 replied smiling.

"I'll meet you there," Sarah said huffing.

The connection broke and 37 was alone with her thoughts again. She put in her ear buds and Nena's familiar voice came on, right as Danielle ported into the passenger seat. This made 37 laugh.

"Yes?" Enigma asked taking out her buds.

"You should be nicer Cass! Sarah said you needed help, so here I am!" Danielle said smiling the same smile that Kurt occasionally got when he let his guard far down enough.

"True, but why not go with her?" Cassie asked slightly curious as to what her response would be.

"Because she didn't adopt my fuzzy nephew," Danielle replied still smiling that huge grin.

"Fair enough but no changing the station," 37 said swatting Danielle's hand away from the presets.

**Artemis, death ward twenty minutes later**

Artemis knew something was wrong, the kids were shifting uncomfortably and even Avi was beginning to squirm. An unfamiliar mind entered hers and told her to give her an image of where she was.

_Why?_ She asked the voice

_I have someone who can help you but only if she knows where to port to_, the voice replied.

"That would be my mother most likely, I thought I felt her nearby," Kurt said realising the source of Artemis's confusion.

_Do you know a Kurt Vagner by any chance?_ Artemis asked.

_Yeah he's my son. Blue, fuzzy, looks like he's forever stuck in a dollar store devil costume?_ The voice asked.

_Send her in_, Artemis replied.

Two seconds later there was a deafening crack and two more people were now in the already crowded ward. They were both women, but that's where the similarities ended. The one closest to Artemis was a white blond that looked very similar to Livvy though she was slightly taller, she was wearing jeans and a tee shirt both of which were wrinkled as if she had been told to go somewhere quickly and didn't have time to dress properly. The other woman had an angry look to her, her black hair was pin straight and her blue eyes were filled with lightening. She was a very beautiful woman, with the exception of a scar which ran from the top of her left eyebrow to the corner of her left cheek which ended up giving her a perpetual sneer.

After shaking herself off a bit the small blonde woman stepped forward.

"Hello, I'm Sarah and I'll be your medic today. Who needs the most attention?" Sarah asked her eyes quickly scanning the room.

"Ricky who's right next to you and everyone else in his row," Livvy said finding her ability to speak.

"This'll be interesting. I've never done this many people at once before," Sarah said cracking her knuckles. She put her hand in the middle of Ricky's chest and began focusing, a blue light emanated from her palm.

As Ricky began to take on the same glow as the healer's palm she let out a soft cry and let go.

Ricky slowly got to his feet, something he hadn't done in a while, and turned to his sister smiling.

"Sis, I'm standing," he said laughing giddily "Sis! I'M STANDING!"

The smile on his face was absolutely priceless.

Sarah looked like she had been run over a few times but that didn't stop her from proceeding. By the time she had finished she looked like she was on death's doorstep, which wasn't too surprising considering she had healed all save twenty-three of the kids. The only reason why she had stopped there was because she passed out before she could reach the others.

**X-Mansion**

It was roughly three a.m. when Charles was awakened by Chassidy.

_You're going to need to get rooms ready; we've got a lot of company coming_ the smile on her face bled into her mental voice.

_Didn't I tell you not to go?_ He asked trying to curb her enthusiasm.

_No, I said let me take care of it and you went off to bed,_ she replied.

He mentally huffed _I'll leave the light on for you_ he said rolling his eyes.

She gave him a wave of happiness and disconnected.

"Enigmas," he said to himself chuckling, "got to love them."

.


	6. Chapter 6

I was born a small frail child. Mother was always worrying about me and whether or not the cold I had would kill me. I was moved to the death ward when mother found out that I was dying. Of what no one knew but I was dying and I didn't have much time. I was spared the fate of an early death yesterday; a woman by the name of Sarah decided to help us. I am now perfectly healthy, how she did it I don't know but I'm glad she did. There is nothing worse than seeing your mother cry and being unable to do anything. My name is Seth Gavin Rose and I am now free.

Seth smiled as he wrote his last entry in the journal he'd been keeping to pass the time. He stashed it under his mattress and waved a fond farewell, he knew he wouldn't be seeing that room ever again if he could help it.  
-

"Did we get everyone?" 37 asked checking to make sure the kids in the back had their seat-belts on.

"Yeah," Artemis replied, she sounded very uneasy.

"Worried about your students?" 37, otherwise known as Chassidy, asked.

"Slightly, I know they are more than capable of taking care of themselves until I return. The one I'm worried about is Didge, she is a very fragile soul and doesn't handle separation very well," Artemis said, looking back at the school.

"Artemis! Please don't leave!" a girl who was running full tilt towards the pair of mutants shouted.

The girl was rather strange looking for a twelve year old, she had scars that covered her entire body (though Enigma could only see them because she actually looked for it) the most prominent of which being a wine coloured scar on the top of her lip. That particular scar was what caught her attention most because it looked like a burn. The rest of her features were actually quite pleasant, she had a small nose and vibrant grey-blue-green eyes. Her hair was a burgundy that usually only came from a bottle, it was styled into a cute pixie cut which complimented her face perfectly. Her clothes were well worn and by the looks of it on their last legs. The thing that made the girl so strange was the fact that she dressed like someone who was ready to run at a moment's notice. By the looks of it she had everything but food, drink and shelter on her something that was very common among abused children who ran away.

"I won't be gone long, Didge, I promise," Artemis knew she was probably lying but what could she do, an unhappy Didge was never a good thing.

"Can I come with you then? I promise I'll behave, and I've gotten better at controlling my powers. Electronics don't go haywire whenever I get too close anymore and I can tune them out too. Please- please let me come. I won't be any trouble honest!" Didge sounded so desperate, it made Enigma half wonder what happened to the kid to make her so clingy.

_Enigma is there any way you could convince this headmaster of yours to let her come along? I'll take responsibility for her actions, after all she is my student,_ Artemis asked. Enigma noticed that Artemis had an almost motherly affection for all of her students and staff, it reminded her very much of Charles in the early days: kind and willing to teach but completely in over his head.

_Maybe, I'll see what I can do,_ Enigma said before breaking her connection to her.

Enigma opened the link she had with Charles and was surprised that he was already there, he never came to a recruitment site- ever. Before Enigma could give Artemis half a warning he was already right behind them.

"Well you have managed to hide yourself pretty well Artemis." A male voice said kindly, "I'm Charles Xavier."

Artemis turned to face Charles with fire in her eyes, "YOU! You knew about our school for a long time- didn't you? You sick twisted bastard! How dare you! Who do you think you are? God? Do you know how long I've been watching my own son die because of you? Do you even _care_ about what the hell we've been through?!"

Enigma made to freeze Artemis mentally but Charles stopped her saying, "I understand her anger. She's a mother and mothers are always quite fierce when it comes to their children. I should have been able to find some of these kids with Cerebro but for some strange reason I couldn't. It was like they were shielded from me."

"Are you saying that this is my fault? Are you saying that because I hid the school from Friends Of Humanity and worse, I put my own kids in danger? For all I know you could be lying! I would never do anything that would put my students in danger!" Artemis was at the point of tears. She always found it odd that she cried when she was angry.

"Neither would I," Charles replied, a sadness creeping into his voice.

He finally realised why Enigma had bonded so quickly with the child, she was Magneto all over again. He realised that the pain he had felt two blocks back belonged to the fiery woman that stood before him. He knew that if he didn't try to help this girl now he would have to pay the price in bodies later.

"If you understand me so well why didn't you come sooner? Why didn't you help us? Why, you bloody hypocrite! Why? why?" Artemis was on the brink of sobbing now. This man brought emotions that she had long since buried into the light, and she wanted to know why.

_What are you doing to me?_ She half shrieked.

_I'll tell you if you let me live, one more outburst like that and I'm as good as dead, _Charles tried to rebuild the blockades that she had torn down like tissue paper but soon realised that would be impossible.

He was facing a telepath as powerful as he was and that frightened him. The last time he was caught off guard like this was with Jean and her angry secondary personality Phoenix.

_Sorry, you and your sister are the first telepaths, other than myself, that I have encountered. I've never been good at gauging other people's resistance to my telepathic outbursts so you'll have to forgive me for that. I promise it won't happen again,_ Artemis said calming down slightly.

She had a very unique personality mesh. He could see several bits of himself scattered about the labyrinth of her mind, but there were several bits of the Erik that he knew, the one that became Magneto, in there as well. That was what made him nervous.

_No need to apologise, your still new to this. In answer to your question_ I _am not doing anything to you, you are more than capable of feeling on your own,_ Charles said calmly.

_I still don't trust you,_ Artemis said before slipping out of his mind.

She couldn't understand it, he had every right to be angry at her especially given all the things she called him. He was a very curious man indeed, curious and kind.

"Mom, he's not lying," her son said snapping her out of her thoughts

"Seth, why aren't you in the Blackbird?" Artemis asked.

"I heard you yelling at someone, and I was curious as to why," Seth replied his slate eyes staring back into her emerald.

"I tried to catch him but I couldn't keep up. He's more of a monkey than me, and that's saying something!" Kurt said as he finally caught up to the surprisingly agile child.

"Artemis?" A very nervous Didge asked.

"Yeah Didge?" Artemis replied.

"Please come back," Didge quickly hugged Artemis and ran off tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

"We have more than enough room if she would like to come with you," Charles said.

"Really?" Artemis asked.

Charles simply nodded and smiled. Artemis didn't even have time to whistle before Didge came running back with a gigantic grin on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

"Get some rest," Artemis said buckling her daughter in.

"I'm not tired though!" Didge protested.

"It'll make the ride shorter," Artemis whispered humming a lullaby, before Didge could protest any more she'd fallen fast asleep.

Didge hated it when she dreamed. Pain, terror, hopelessness; it was the only thing that Artemis _couldn't _save her from. Today's nightmare lineup had been the usual: her head held under water until it felt like her lungs wanted to burst, someone slicing her fragile skin all over shouting at her for no reason, beaten 'til she was bloody, nothing she hadn't grown accustomed to. Then came something she _hadn't_ expected: a pleasant dream.

She was about four and was on a picnic in the park. There was a lovely, warm, spring breeze and she was laughing and playing in the grass. She didn't have any scars yet and she somehow knew this would be the last time, before Artemis came, that she'd be happy like this.

"- - -!" a voice…no, daddy, called.

She ran over giggling and plopped down onto the blanket.

"Are you having fun?" a woman…no, momma, asked. momma was wearing a pretty, white dress with corn flowers embroidered on it. She had a pearl necklace with a matching pair of pearl earrings, and she had on her best pair of pantyhose.

"Mmmhmm!" she nodded, grinning. Grinning made momma happy, it was always good when momma was happy

"Sarah, do you want to get it?" daddy's smile meant she was gonna get a surprise for being a good girl.

"Stay here, hon. Ok?" momma grinned and went to get her surprise.

"Have I been a good girl, daddy?" She asked beaming. She already knew the answer, but she liked hearing it from him anyway.

"Of course you've been a good girl, princess!" daddy chuckled, ruffling her hair.

A few minutes later, momma came back and daddy asked her to close her eyes. She happily did as she was told and when daddy was sure she wasn't peeking, he put something in her lap. It was heavy, and _wet_, and sticky, and it felt smooth in some parts and stringy - like _hair? –_ in others, particularly toward the top.

"Go ahead - open your eyes," daddy said, his voice sounded a little scary…like a villain's but she trusted him so she did.

Her gift was her own severed head. She screamed in utter horror but the nightmare was not over yet. The head opened its eyes and, after blinking for a few moments, opened its mouth and spoke with a voice that didn't belong anywhere near her vocal chords, "mommy loves you…_MURDERER_!"

Try as she might to get up and flee, she couldn't do so - her hands and feet were literally nailed to the floor of the basement that had appeared as the more picturesque scene crumbled away like in the Silent Hill movie.

"Pray you spawn of hell! Pray!"

She tried even harder to get up and get out of that room. As she struggled, she could feel the rust on the nails digging into her skin.

"Daddy!" she screamed, hoping He'd answer her prayer and send _someone_.

Almost as if on cue, the door burst open and Artemis came in with two others: a man and a young woman. The latter had amber eyes and the features and build of a geisha. The former was blue and looked like a cartoon devil.

"I'm here, sis!" the girl shouted, dashing over to her side, covering her up like a human shield.

"Didge, you have to wake up! The jet is in a nose dive and unless you wake up now and send power back through the system we'll all die." Artemis sounded scared.

She didn't like it when Mommy was scared.

Didge's eyes snapped open. She quickly unbuckled herself and dashed over to the cockpit. She slapped her hands down onto a button free zone and interfaced with the plane. She began to stabilize the engines and tried to ease it up out of its dive. Finally, a few hundred feet from the ground, she managed to pull it up again.

"Destination coordinates?" she asked in the telephone operator voice she always got when interfaced.

Kurt, who was utterly shocked and bewildered by the spectacle, gave them and watched in amazement as Didge turned the plane and flew it back to the mansion without a hitch and without moving her hands once from the dash.

When they landed, Kurt took Artemis aside and asked her the question that was on everyone's minds.

"Was war das?" Kurt hissed.

"Depends on what "_that_" is referring to. If you mean the girl we met in Didge's subconscious, that was Seera, she comes out to play when Didge is unable to cope with her emotions. She is also more powerful and has better control of Didge's electrical powers. If you mean when Didge fried the jet, that's what happens when she gets nightmares. Normally it isn't that bad, but as you could see that wasn't an ordinary nightmare," Artemis said, her anger thinly veiled.

"Calm down, Artemis! I don't mean anyone harm, I just like to know what's going on, especially if a small twelve year old could be the death of me!" Kurt replied, trying to calm her down but failing.

Before Artemis could open her mouth to speak, Wolverine came over.

"Listen bub, I don't mind that your staff is made up of kids and I don't mind that you're clearly in over your head. _But_ if your _pet _ever pulls off a stunt like that again I swear I'll rip her to-" Wolverine didn't even have a chance to yelp before Artemis leapt onto him, swung around to his back, and pinned him in a series of fluid motions.

"You listen to me and you listen well. If you _ever_ threaten my kids or staff again I _**will**_ rip your throat out." Artemis snarled, her fangs bared.

"Sorry kid," Wolverine said before knocking her out. "She's all Chuckie's. I ain't touchin' the psycho."

Logan growled slightly at the girl and stormed out.

"Love thy neighbor, not kill them." Kurt sighed, shaking his head.

He went over to the girl and picked her up. She was a lot lighter than she looked for which he was very grateful. Kurt marveled at how fragile Artemis looked in comparison to just a few moments before.

"You can have my room, I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight anyway," he whispered to the unconscious girl in his arms.

When he finally got to his room, he laid her gently down on the bed and began taking off her shoes.

"I'll be right back," he muttered, before leaving to see if Storm had anything her size that she could borrow for the night.

Storm's room wasn't far from his but somehow tonight it felt like it was a million miles away. Finally he reached his destination. Noticing the door was open, he went in.

"Storm?" he called softly.

"I'll be out in a second, Kurt!" she replied.

As promised, a minute or so later she came out in her favourite white robe.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"Could I borrow one of your nightshirts? Our newest arrival is about your size and is in desperate need of a change of clothes." He could feel himself blushing, but he couldn't figure out why.

"Sure!" She went over to her dresser, pulled out a blue nightshirt, tossed it to him and with a smile said, "Tell her she can keep it."

Kurt gave her his thanks and went back. Artemis was still on the bed but her peaceful look had changed to one of fear.

"no…please judas…please," she moaned.

Kurt, against his better judgment, went over and bent down. Whether he was bending down to comfort her or wake her he'd never quite remember, but what happened next was forever etched clear as day into his memory. Apparently fighting back her invisible assailant, she lunged at Kurt and bit him in the shoulder. That alone was terrifying, but not quite as terrifying as the feeling of his blood being drained.

As to be expected, he screamed, which in turn woke Artemis, who then, seeing what had happened, ended up screaming herself. Soon enough, everyone else within earshot was there. The last thing Kurt remembered before passing out was Artemis crying and apologizing profusely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Enigma**

Enigma hissed softly as the scent of bleach hit her, even after all these years she _still_ couldn't set foot in a hospital setting without cringing.

"He'll be ok 'Nigma," Sarah said as Engima came in the room.

Enigma breathed a small sigh of relief. She'd already lost one child she didn't want to lose her adopted son as well.

"How bad is it?" she asked biting her lip worriedly.

"Luckily she missed his jugular...barely though, he's definitely going to need to stay here for a while," Sarah replied.

"Any chance he'll turn?"

Sarah shook her head, "The girl is a mutant, the only thing we need to worry about is it getting infected."

"Where is she?" Enigma asked keeping her voice as even as possible.

"She's in the tank." It took Enigma a minute to remember what the tank was.

Enigma nodded her thanks and made her way down to the holding cell affectionately nicknamed "the tank". It hadn't been used since Enigma first came to the mansion over fifty years ago. She marched down there getting angrier with every step.

**Artemis**

Artemis shivered on the cold stone floor, partly because it was cold but mostly because she was afraid. She didn't mean to hurt him, it had just happened. One minute Judas was bearing down on her the next Kurt was bleeding out in front of her eyes. She curled her knees up to her chest trying to make herself as small as possible, almost as if she could disappear. She could hear the angry footfalls coming down the hall and knew she'd really done it. She searched frantically for a place to hide unfortunately no such place could be found.

"What the HELL did you try to kill my son for?" Enigma shouted baring her canines her yellow eyes burning with a motherly hatred.

When that garnered no response other than a "deer-in-the-headlights" look, she rushed toward the Plexiglass slamming her fist against it, "ANSWER ME YOU BITCH!"

"I didn't mean to," Artemis replied finally, her voice sounding very small.

"That's the best you can come up with? 'I didn't mean to?'" Enigma hissed. "HE SAVED YOUR ASS AND THAT'S HOW YOU REPAY HIM!"

"I was having a nightmare...I thought he was my step-brother." Artemis kept staring at the floor, hoping it'd swallow her whole.

"You'd do that to your own brother? You are a sick twisted fuc-"

"HE RAPED ME!" Artemis screeched, tears welling up in her eyes. "I've had nightmares ever since. Especially since I had Seth, I'm afraid he'll try to hurt him."

Enigma opened her mouth to say something but found the words got stuck in the back of her throat.

"I'm sorry I hurt your son, truly I am and I swear if there was anything I could to to fix it I would but I can't," Artemis whispered understanding the cerulean mutant's pain.

Artemis fingered the gold locket her mother had given her as a child, humming the lullaby she'd sing her

every night. Enigma's ears perked up immediately. "Where'd you hear that tune?"

"What?" Artemis asked.

"Where'd you hear that tune?" Enigma repeated.

"Mother used to sing me to sleep with it every night when I was small," Artemis replied. "Why?"

"Just curious," Enigma said a small flicker of hope rekindling itself in the back of her head. "_Maybe Erik was right, maybe Nyx _did_lie._"


End file.
